The Life After War Collection

by Angela White

  Rick spotted Becky lingering near the parking area. Staying out of the way, the teenager looked lost, abandoned.

  You won’t be alone long, little girl. Neil still wants you, Rick thought...and immediately changed directions. He couldn’t leave Neil anything except his life, and in the end, even that might be too much.

  2

  “Kenn to the QZ,” the radio crackled.

  “Copy.” Ignoring the steady drizzle, Kenn changed directions. A QZ call usually meant someone had come in, and now was a bad time for new arrivals. Both of Safe Haven’s doctors were out.

  The waiting sheep were still sequestered in the mess, tightly surrounded by circles of both stationary and roaming Eagles, but it was clear that they were about to stampede. He had to move them now or lose them.

  Kenn ducked under the swaying caution tape to see John and Adrian climbing from a mud-splattered van–Jeff and Seth also, and Cynthia, who Kenn was surprised to see with them. He’d thought this might be the time the reporter was ‘accidentally’ caught in the crossfire.

  “Look out!”

  Kenn jumped back as a wagon of women sped by, just missing clipping him with the mirror. He was sending people out in groups of five, hoping they’d stay together, but the odds of it were low.

  John stalked by, looking like he hadn’t slept the entire time he’d been gone.

  “She’ll live.”

  The doctor’s curt words were thrown in anger as he headed for the other side of the QZ parking area and Kenn filed them away as proof that things had been as rough as he’d imagined.

  Kenn was surprised again, though, when the haggard man climbed into the passenger seat of the ambulance and shut the door. Wasn’t he going to find Anne or check on his patients? John did a lot of behind-the-scenes work. The doctor even had a weekly meeting with Adrian. About what, Kenn didn’t know, and that told him John was part of the chain of command, though no one else appeared to know it yet. So why was he–

  Bang! Bang!

  The wind-muffled gunshots came from the slavers’ camp. The lack of word from Cesar certainly wasn’t causing them concern.

  Seth gave Kenn a cool nod, and then searched for the nearest ranking guard. He was aware of his slight limp, legs like lead. The long ride had stiffened his muscles.

  When Jeff came to his side, Kenn’s first thought was to ask how bad Angela was hurt, what had happened, and who was taking the heat for it. He swallowed the questions after surveying Jeff’s exhausted walk and hostile expression.

  “Boss says to keep them moving.” Jeff’s tone said he was angry, to take care.

  Seeing Adrian motion Mitch to get the radio going–to tell them he was here now–Kenn only wondered vaguely who his ally was aiming at. “Good. We sent over a truck of drugged food, but that was yesterday afternoon. Scouts say they’re arming for a fight.”

  “Tired of waiting for Cesar to return,” Adrian guessed, joining them.

  “Will he?” Kenn asked.

  “No.”

  “No.”

  Crashhhh!

  In the near distance, the sound of a building collapsing echoed louder than the slaver camp. It was another sign of post-war decline, happening all across the country–maybe even the world. No one knew if other countries were in the same shape, but Kenn thought some of them might be at least a little better off. While the West had been living lives of ease and convenience, other nations had been suffering and by necessity, would have been better able to handle such a crisis.

  Jeff concealed the hell he’d just been through, as well as what was yet to come. He raised his voice against the howling wind. “How can I help?”

  The three men fell into a quick conversation as the rain began to fall harder.

  Cynthia stayed on Adrian’s heels, hand near her gun.

  She was clearly guarding him and it was noticed, but not commented on. There was no time to waste on mysteries right now.

  3

  “Where’s Samantha?”

  “There, in the next line to go,” the rookie answered.

  Seth headed that way, eager to have her safety confirmed and off his list of things to do. Around him, the camp was now openly fleeing, no longer worried about alerting the slavers. Kyle and his team were between the two camps, getting set, and Adrian wasn’t going to hold them back.

  “She’s been out for about ten minutes,” Kevin stated, still upset with Tucker for leaving her alone while she showered. Kevin had been glad to find her here after chewing on the man. “She hasn’t slept much since you guys took off.”

  Seth stopped, not wanting to wake her if she was really able to sleep through this din. People shouted, doors slammed, and cars spun out the second they were gassed, vanishing into the night to hopefully catch up with the lead semi that was being driven by Doug.

  “I heard there are men down?”

  Seth didn’t answer Kevin’s question, instead waving toward the truck Samantha was in. “Where did that one come from? I thought we didn’t find any more red on the last vehicle recon.”

  Kevin shrugged. “Not sure. I saw an Eagle park it there, though, so it must run.”

  Seth moved toward Adrian, and his next item to do. “Stay with Samantha–even during the bug-out. Neil’s orders–and let her know they’re both okay.”

  Kevin nodded, heading toward the truck as a blue large van fled into the night. “You know it.”

  Eagles were all over the area, most of them toting things or helping people into their assigned rides. One of these carried a heavy-looking duffle bag that he slung into the back of the truck Samantha was in.

  Kevin’s eyes narrowed when her head lolled roughly against the window, but she didn’t react or re-adjust herself. How could she sleep so deeply?

  Kevin started to knock on the window.

  “Hey!” The Eagle who had put the bag into the back waved a hand. “He wants you.”

  Kevin turned to see Kenn motioning him over, and gestured for the man to take his place. “Stay close to her. She’s special.”

  The Eagle nodded, grinning under his mask. “I know it.”

  Kevin jogged to Kenn, shaking his head. He didn’t like some of these newer people that had signed up. Hell, he even didn’t know who that one...

  Kevin stopped, turning in time to see the man slide into the driver’s seat. The masked Eagle gave Samantha a friendly smile that she didn’t react to, and began chatting as he started the engine.

  Kevin strained to see. Who is that?

  Eager to be gone, Kenn thrust a paper over Kevin’s shoulder. “Boss wants you to drive Samantha and then switch with Lee when we make camp.”

  Kevin shook his head, watching the truck go rolling slowly by. “She has a driver, but I’m not sure who it is.”

  “Where are they?” Kenn demanded, hinky feeling growing.

  Kevin pointed.

  Standing next to them, Seth froze. He recognized the man disappearing into the darkness with Samantha. The bandana gave it away. “Rick!”

  Adrian spun at the name, drawing his gun.

  Seth took off running after the truck, already knowing it was too late to stop, and if he opened fire, he could hit any number of camp members.

  “Stop that truck!”

  Adrian’s shout was lost in the din.

  Aware of their panic and enjoying it gleefully, Rick patted Samantha’s arm and took her away from Safe Haven.

  The truck vanished.

  Seth ran to the next car about to leave. He ripped Roger from the driver’s seat of the jeep and sped off into the darkness after them.

  Adrian pointed out a team quickly, sending them after Seth. Tracking Rick without backup was a bad idea. He was obviously more dangerous than any of them had given him credit for.

  Torn, Adrian chose to stay with his herd. They would do rolling searches by the member list and he would take his place at the head of the convoy once they were all accounted for. He had to get the camp back together. Seth and the others now bore
the duty of rescuing Samantha and bringing Rick back to stand trial. It was something that everyone in Safe Haven needed.

  Adrian checked his watch and then glanced toward the brightly lit slaver camp. That was another issue he wouldn’t be overseeing, but there was little worry. Kyle was lethal. There wasn’t anyone in that camp that Kyle couldn’t handle.

  4

  Kyle and his men were regretting taking the newest mission–until about 4:00 a.m.–when they had gotten near enough to the slaver camp to view the people.

  With Cesar gone, the camp was in chaos. Gang rapes took place by the fire, fists and knives flashing. The women were barely conscious, bloody and broken as one man finished and another took his place. Kyle’s group was sickened, but if he had said to keep low and wait until it was over and everyone was asleep, they would have.

  Kyle was going to tell them exactly that. The remaining slavers numbers were still bigger, but then two young boys were pulled out of a truck, kicking, pissing and screaming for help.

  Line up in the V. We go on two.

  Kyle sent the instruction using their hand code, and the teams around him got set. They were the only thing standing between the slavers and Safe Haven. Kyle and Neil had hoped to wait for a better time to launch their assault, but they were no longer concerned with any of the slaves being caught in the crossfire. A quick bullet would be better than the slow death they were suffering now.

  Vaguely glad that the fog had thinned, Kyle saw the glaze over Neil’s eyes and understood.

  “This will give you what you want. Women like heroes.”

  Neil didn’t bother with a lie, even though their men were all listening. “It will also seal my place. Yours, too.”

  “There’s nothing he’ll deny us after this.” Kyle swept the drunken men. Other than the small group of guerillas getting ready to roll, this wouldn’t be a battle–it would be a barrel-shoot, with sitting ducks for targets. Even the armed men wouldn’t stand much of a chance against Chris and Shawn with their grenade launchers. “And nothing will ever erase the stain.”

  Neil shared Kyle’s revulsion, but in this moment, he needed Samantha and his place more than he wanted a clean conscience. “For him, and for my new life, I’ll bear it.”

  Kyle’s shoulders straightened proudly. “As will we all.” He raised an arm. “One…and Go!”

  The two teams burst into Cesar’s muddy camp.

  The slavers didn’t see the threat coming. For six months, these men had lounged in complete safety on foreign soil. That changed as Kyle shot the first arm rising to fire, then the head that it was attached to.

  He spun, checking the right. Clear! Left? Fire!

  Bang!

  The guerilla fell at Neil’s feet, causing the trooper to spin around. He stayed his hand, realizing Kyle had saved him.

  Neil nodded and spun right. Clear! Left?

  It was a pattern of behavior that protected each of the men in their line of sight–one that always began and ended with a shout of ‘remember to look!’ during the training that Adrian demanded.

  “Down!”

  The Eagles dropped at Kyle’s roar.

  Bbrrrrr...

  The machine gun rattled across the filthy camp, hitting fleeing shadows, but none of the Eagles that it was aimed for. They knew to stay low.

  Billy quickly found the gunman and delivered a spray that sent him behind a tent for cover.

  The Eagles moved in, bullets ripping through the canvas without mercy.

  Three captive women were caught and killed by stray rounds, and one had her throat slit by a man trying to use her as a shield–his arm jerked as the bullet hit him in the head. The rest of the women and kids got out of the way.

  Shouldn’t they be screaming or something? Kyle wondered in a distant, store-it-for-later way as he fired again.

  The armed group gearing up to attack Safe Haven joined the gunfight, peppering them with slugs, but Chris was ready. He fired the grenade launcher with a leer. “Hell’s waiting, boys!”

  “And this is how you get there!” Shawn shouted, firing his own launcher from Chris’s right.

  The grenades exploded together, catching most of the scattering Mexicans and the two Eagles reloaded each other–Marc’s addition to their training. It allowed them to fire four shots in half as much time.

  Dirt and blood rained over the campsite.

  The slavers were helpless under the fury of Adrian’s Eagles. They’d come prepared, but more than that, the feeling of helplessness that these the Eagles had been smothered with for the last three days was finally being released. When it was over, these men would be expected to rejoin Safe Haven and act civilized, but right now, they were savage, killing any male that moved. They walked the camp without breaking ranks, and didn’t pause even when one of their own cried out.

  Billy grabbed Chris’s limp arm and hefted him over one shoulder as he advanced, gun barking.

  Kyle grunted as a slug hit his vest and went through, spinning him around. It was caught and held by the next layers of protection and he spun back, shooting and killing the man who had hit him.

  There’s nowhere else I’d rather be!

  “Eagles Fly!” he screamed, glad of the second vest, of this second chance at life that Adrian had given him.

  The V expanded, each man marching forward to form a single line of side-by-side walking death. Extremely effective, it allowed a better range of fire and gave the Eagles the final advantage. The slavers’ rampage was over.

  Kyle didn’t holster his weapon until they had walked every inch of the garbage and blood-filled camp. His Glock barked death sporadically, changing bleeding, begging slavers into mud-shrouded corpses.

  It was hard to look at, but little compared to the slaughter they’d left at the picnic area. His guilt was eased by each new horror they uncovered. There were tents full of feces, dead dogs, and bodies of women and kids piled in the brush behind the camp. Revolted, Kyle waved at Neil. “Get a bigger fire going. We’re not leaving this.”

  Neil didn’t like the chore, but couldn’t argue the duty. The corpses had been American survivors–members of Safe Haven that hadn’t reached its borders in time–and they deserved more than to be left behind some camp for the animals to drag away.

  “Movement in the rear row of trucks,” Neil passed the message from one of their men. “How do you want to handle it?”

  “Those are our damsels in distress.” Kyle motioned for Jeremy to handle their men. “Tell the boys to settle down.”

  Around them, the Eagles were celebrating their victory–the end of the feud–and their loud shouts and curses were scaring the slaves, Kyle was sure. They were used to being abused by rough, uncaring males, and he wasn’t looking forward to observing their fear on the ride home.

  “Tell them quiet is best. We don’t want to spook these women,” Neil added. “None of them will have a clue what’s going on, so make sure you talk to them. Try to pick out the strongest of them and we’ll have her take charge as much as we can.”

  Sure that Jeremy would have his hands full just quieting their teams, Kyle helped Jeremy at the trailers. He cut the padlock off the first trailer and shoved the door up.

  The dozen or so children inside began screaming, pushing toward the rear as they begged for mercy. They cowered there, moaning in terror.

  Horrified, Kyle slowly held his hands up, the lethal Glock back in his holster. “They’re all dead. Every one of them!”

  He gentled his words as their noises of terror quieted a bit. “We’re here to help you.”

  Behind him, Neil and the others slowly recovered from their shock. They hadn’t expected to see any kids here. Adrian would be delighted–and as revolted as they were right now to see the bruises, shrunken faces, and the other signs of abuse.

  Kyle held out a hand, assisting the fearful kids. They pulled away from his light touch the second their small feet reached the ground and he hoped they wouldn’t go fleeing into the night.

/>   “Get the supplies out, Neil,” Kyle ordered. “Get them fed and talking.”

  Neil and the others did as he instructed, savage men now shoved back inside their facades, but the children knew and shied away. Monsters were easier to spot in this new world–even the ones who didn’t recognize it in themselves.

  5

  “Here they come.”

  Jennifer didn’t respond to Lilly’s half-excited, half-fearful comment. She belonged to Cesar, too–all of the slaves locked in this semi to keep them unspoiled were his.

  They listened as the truck next to them was opened.

  “They’re all dead. Come on out.”

  Jennifer and Lilly exchanged glances, but not determined ‘we’ll make it together’ stares. These were eternal vows of hatred.

  “Don’t do it this time.” Lilly’s words came out in a low rush of terror-inspired courage. “Don’t make deals with them. If you promise, we won’t tell them about you.”

  Jennifer felt the support of the other women in their truck–they were all against her–and the terror of the children crammed in behind her. They were afraid that she would agree.

  Jennifer clenched her fists. “Let the new owners hurt the kids, so that you don’t have to serve. Is that what you’re asking me to do?”

  “No.” Lilly leaned forward, eyeing Jennifer’s big stomach threateningly. “I’m telling you!”

  Jennifer immediately punched Lilly in the jaw, making sure it split her lip. Those stung for days.

  Lilly hit the side of the truck, rattling their hanging belongings.

  “You don’t tell me,” Jennifer warned coldly. “I tell you!”

  Lilly picked herself up off the filthy floor, wiping blood from her mouth as the other women scrambled to get away from them.

  Jennifer’s stomach was grotesquely big in the light of their flickering candle. Lilly stared at it, keeping her distance this time. “I mean it, bruja. No more deals for us or your baby won’t live.”

  The teenager stared back at Lilly without blinking, hating her. It never should have come to this. After a raid on a big city, the women in camp had sometimes numbered enough to overtake the Mexicans.